Snowplow



S NOWPLOW Filed Feb. 1. 1952 I5 Sheets-Sheet l attorney SNOWPLOW Filed Feb. 4, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gttorneg'.

June 21, 1932. c 'w o 1,863,610

SNOWPLOW Filed Feb. 4,- 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Isnnentor Chafles A. Wei'more (Ittomeg Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES A. WETMORE F GLENFIELD, NEW YORK SNOWPLOW Application filed February 4, 1932. Serial No. 590,827.

This invention relates to improvements in snow plows, designed for clearing snow from highways, and has for its object to provide a horse or tractor drawn snow remover, which is mounted upon a single pair of runners that are disposed and held rigid by a deck, and together with the deck constitute the frame of the machine. A further object is to provide similar right and left hand plows that are supported by the frame, said plows being a mold board which is 0 object is to provide a relatively small and shallow auxiliary plow, simulating a colter commonly carried by the ordinary land plows, that precedes the main plows and removes the snow that lies straight ahead of the runners and also prevents clogging of the space between the runners; the spread of the auxiliary plow being such as to deposit the removed snow fairly in the paths of the mold boards to be later dispersed laterally by the main plows. A further object is to provide the forward ends of the runners with manually controlled spuds that cut narrow grooves or paths in the packed snow to positively guide the runners, as well as to enable the main plows to cut substantially to the plane of the roadway. A further object is to provide wing-like extensions for the main plows, said wings being hinged to the rear ends of the mold boards and being swingable horizontally from the idle position parallel to the run ners, to an angular position in the oblique plane of the mold boards to increase the spread of the latter, in order to remove the snow dispersed by the mold boards still farther from the cleared driving path, thereby preventing the formation of abrupt lateral banks or ridges that might interfere with the traffic. And a further object is to generally improve and simplify the construction, ar-

rangement and operation of highway snow plows, as well as to provide an extremely powerful, efiicient and cheap device.

I attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed description which follows, and

as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same, the tongue and related parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a rear end elevation. Fig. 5 is a side elevation. Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken side elevation taken in the direction of the,

arrow in Fig. 1, showing the operation of one of the spuds. And Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modified tractor-driven plow.

In the drawings, 2 represents similar elongated plane runners spaced and braced by.

transverse beams 52 and overlaid by an angular flat deck 2a, forming therewith an inverted trough which constitutes the frame that supports all the other parts of the machine. The runners 2 and deck 2a are further reinforced and braced by angular members 2c. The runners 2 are preferably made of wood, and their front and rear ends are preferably formed at right angles to the top and bottom edges, so that when propelled for-.

wardly, the sharp lower front corners tend to dig into the snow and thereby cut grooves or troughs for holding and guiding the ma chine in a true course. The ends of the beams 2 are preferably reduced and pass through openings in the runners and are held in place by wedge-like keys 2d. The forward ends of the runners are uncovered and are perforated at 3 to facilitate attaching a neap or tongue 3, by which the plow may be drawn and steered by a team of horses. The neap 3 is provided with a crossbar or head 3a, which may pivot in said perforations 3, as shown in Fig. 1. 30 represents a small auxiliary plow or deflector, which is rigid to the neap and depends to within a few inches of the roadway. This auxiliary plow removes the snow that lies straight ahead of the runners 2, and besides. prevents clogging of the edge is faced and reinforced with a strip of sheet metal ll) to provide a sharp cutting edge, which shaves the packed snow and ice and leaves a clear level surface. The mold boards 4a preferably comprise two sections, lc4d. one preferably inclined, the other being vertical. Sections ie-4d are preferably bolted to upright ribs 46. The forward ends of sections 1d of the mold boards preferably overlap the deck 2a and meet and form an apex at the longitudinal center of the deck, and these ends are tied together by an angular plate 47, which is secured by a bolt in, that extends downwardly through the deck. The mold boards beyond the runners are stiffened by angular braces 20. The extreme spread of the main mold boards la is such as to cut and clear a path seven to eight feet in breadth, which enables two vehicles to pass each other with safety. The free ends of the mold boards are preferably vertical so as to enable the machine to plow through relatively deep snow, but as this naturally creates abrupt banks or ridges at the sides of the plowed path which prevent vehicles from turning towards the right or left in order to enter farmyards or cross roads, I provide wing like extensions 55, which are hinged to the rear ends of the mold boards, as at 5a. The said wings are adjustable and swingable horizontally from the idle positions (see dotted lines in'Fig. 1) parallel to the runners 2, to the operative positions in the oblique planes of the mold boards, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. The wings 55 are preferably narrower than the mold boards and taper towards their free ends; the forward ends of these wings. when properly ad justed, approach closely to the plane of the roadway and prevent the formation of the said abrupt banks or walls. the surplus snow being deflected and leveled laterally away from the cleared path at an inclination corresponding to the taper of the wings. The wings 55 may be adjusted and set at anyangle relatively to the planes of the mold boards or runners, by means of braces 66, whose corresponding ends are hinged at 6a to the wings, while the free ends of said braces pass through slotted posts 66, which are bolted to the runners 2, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The braces 6-6 have their lower edges formed with notches or serrations 60, which engage convex bottoms of the slots, and may be held in the adjusted positions by wedgelike keys 6d, which pass through cross slots 66.

The front ends of the wooden runners 2 are fitted with flat steel spuds or bars 7, which are movable vertically in guides or clips 7, that are fastened to the sides of the runners. These spuds are raised and lowered by L- shaped levers 7a, whose horizontal arms 7?) pass loosely through holes in the top ends of the spuds, the said arms being pivoted medially, as at 70, to render the levers rockable, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, for reciprocating the spuds. The spuds 7 are employed for plowing the aforesaidchannels or grooves in the packed snow and ice to receive and guide the runners 2 in a straight or true course, as well as to enable the machine to sink and plow a level path substantially in the plane of the roadway. When a highway is blocked by drifts that extend across the roadway at frequent intervals, the driver, whose usually stands at :0 upon the deck 2a, between the handles 7 (Z of the levers 7a, rocks the levers forwardly to depress the spuds until the latter cut through the drifts. By this arrangement, the plow may be held substantially level and the path plowed will be relatively smooth and fiat. When the snow drifts do not extend clear across the roadway, the

driver simply operates the spud 7 nearest the drifts. The channels cut by the spuds also prevent the forward end of the machine from drifting or skidding laterally.

Near the rear ends of the frame, the opposing runners are fitted with longitudinal knife-like metal spurs, as 8, which normally extend below the plane of the bottoms of the runners. These spurs sink into the packed snow and cut shallow channels that hold the plow to its true course, and said spurs also prevent the tail end of the plow from skidding ice.

In Fig. 7. the modification consists of a substantially V-shaped plow 9 having opposing oblique mold boards 9, which are mounted upon an angular frame 9a, the latter being braced by a longitudinal timber 9b, a trans-' verse timber 9c and obliquely disposed timbers .903. This plow is preferably arranged to be driven by a tractor, as 10, which is partially disposed within the angular field defined by the frame 9a, the tractor preferably nal timber 90. In practice, the gate 9:0 is

swung upwardly and laterally and the tractor is then driven into the slip which is preferably of such size as to leave a clear space all around the tractor. After the gate is closed, the rear end of the tractor is coupled or swerving laterally when traversing smooth to the gate 9% by means of a draw-bar 13 to enable the tractor to propel the plow. In this modified structure, the tractor 10 is depended upon to guide or steer the plow.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

1. In a horse-drawn snow removing device, a pair of elongated square end runners, a deck to tie and space said runners, a neap pivoted to the forward ends of the runners to enable the horses to draw and guide the device, means carried by the forward ends of the runners to cut channels in the packed snow to be traversed by the runners, handlevers to independently raise and lower said channel-cutting means, and similar plows rigidly mounted upon said runners at oblique angles to the deck and runners and adapted to disperse the snow laterally in opposite directions.

2. In a snow-removing device, a pair of runners, a deck to tie and space said runners, the forward ends of said runners being square cut adapted to cut grooves in the snow to guide the device, a neap pivoted to the forward ends of the runners, a V-shaped plow supported by the neap adapted to remove the snow that lies directly ahead of the runners, plows comprising mold boards rigidly secured to the runners and extending laterally obliquely from the runners, wings hinged to the free ends of the mold boards to increase the spread of the said plows for deep snow removal, and means to hold the wings in various adjusted positions.

3. A snow-removing device, including a pair of elongated square end runners held in spaced relation by a rigid deck and constituting an inverted trough-like frame, mold boards mounted rigidly on the runners and extended laterally obliquely thereto adapted to disperse snow towards the opposite sides of the highway, a neap pivoted to the forward ends of the runners to enable a team of horses to draw and guide the device, spuds mounted on the forward ends of the runners adapted to cut grooves to guide the runners in a true course, and means to independently raise and lower the spuds.

4:. In a snow removing device, a pair of elongated square end runners held in spaced relation by a rigid deck and constituting the frame of the device, a mold board secured to each of said runners and disposed at oblique angles thereto adapted to disperse the snow towards the opposite sides of the highway, a neap pivoted to the forward ends of the runners to draw and guide thedevice, spuds reciprocably mounted on the forward ends of the runners adapted to cut grooves to guide the runners in a true course, and means to independently operate the spuds.

5. In a snow-removing device, a pair of runners, a deck to tie and space said runners, the forward ends of said runners being square out, a neap pivoted to said forward ends for drawing the device, an auxiliary V-shaped plow supported by and depending from the neap adapted to remove the snow that lies directly ahead of the runners, enlarged mold boards rigidly secured to the outer faces of said runners and being disposed at oblique angles to the planes of the runners, and means to cut grooves in the packed snow to guide and prevent skidding of the runners.

6. A snow removing device, including a pair of elongated runners, a deck to tie and space said runners, the forward ends of said runners being square cut adapted to cut channels in the packed snow to level and guide the device, right and left hand oblique plows rigidly secured to the runners, a neap pivoted to the forward ends of the runners, a relatively small V-shaped plow carried by the neap adapted to deflect the snow that lies directly ahead of the runners into the paths of the oblique plows, extensible wings hinged to the free ends of the oblique plows adapted when extended to increase the spread of said plows, and means for holding the win s at diflerent angles relatively to the latter p ows.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

CHARLES A. WETMORE. 

